Section 3 of Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of St. Matthew by R. C. Ryle Chapter 2, verses 1-12 THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST Matthew 2, verses 1-12 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that was born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and we are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where the Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Art not the least among the princes of Judah. For out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel.

than Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go, and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come, and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed, and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him giftsâ€"gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

It is not known who these wise men were. Their names and dwelling place are alike kept back from us. We are only told that they came from the East. Whether they were Chaldeans or Rabians we cannot say. Whether they learned to expect Christ from the ten tribes who went into captivity, or from the prophecies of Daniel, we do not know. It matters little who they were. The point which concerns us most is the rich instruction which their history conveys.

These verses show us that there may be true servants of God in places where we should not expect to find them. The Lord Jesus has many hidden ones like these wise men. Their history on earth may be as little known as that of Melchizedek, and Jethro, and Job. But their names are in the Book of Life, and they will be found with Christ in the day of His appearing.

It is well to remember this. We must not look round the earth and say hastily, all is barren. The grace of God is not tied to places and families. The Holy Ghost can lead souls to Christ without the help of many outward means. Men may be born in dark places of the earth, like these wise men, and yet like them be made wise unto salvation. There are some travelling to heaven at this moment, of whom the church and the world know nothing. They flourish in secret places, like the lily among the thorns, and waste their sweetness on the desert air. But Christ loves them, and they love Christ.

These verses teach us that it is not always those who have most religious privileges who give Christ most honor. We might have thought that the scribes and Pharisees would have been the first to hasten to Bethlehem on the slightest rumor that the Savior was born. But it was not so. A few unknown strangers from a distant land were the first, except the shepherds mentioned by St. Luke, to rejoice at His birth. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. What a mournful picture this is of human nature! How often the same kind of thing may be seen among ourselves! How often the very persons who live nearest to the means of grace are those who neglect them most.

There is only too much truth in the old proverb, the nearer the church, the further from God. Familiarity with sacred things has an awful tendency to make men despise them. There are many, who from residence and convenience ought to be first and foremost in the worship of God, and yet are always last. There are many, who might as well be expected to be last, who are always first.

These verses teach us that there may be knowledge of Scripture in the head, while there is no grace in the heart. Mark how King Herod sends to inquire of the priests and elders where Christ should be born. Mark what a ready answer they return him, and what an acquaintance with the letter of Scripture they show. But they never went to Bethlehem to seek for the coming Saviour. They would not believe in Him when He ministered among them. Their heads were better than their hearts. Let us all beware of resting satisfied with head-knowledge. It is an excellent thing, when rightly used. But a man may have much of it, and yet perish everlastingly.

What is the state of our hearts? This is the great question. A little grace is better than many gifts. Gifts alone save no one. But grace leads on to glory.

The conduct of the wise men described in this chapter is a splendid example of spiritual diligence. What trouble it must have cost them to travel from their homes to the house where Jesus was born! How many weary miles they must have journeyed! The fatigues of an eastern traveler are far greater than we in England can at all understand. The time that such a journey would occupy must necessarily have been very great. The dangers to be encountered were neither few nor small. But none of these things moved them. They had set their hearts on seeing Him that was born King of the Jews, and they never rested till they saw Him. They proved to us the truth of the old saying, Where there is a will, there is a way.

It would be well for all professing Christians if they were more ready to follow the wise men's example. Where is our self-denial? What pains do we take about our souls? What diligence do we show about following Christ? What does our religion cost us? These are serious questions. They deserve serious consideration.

Last, but not least, the conduct of the wise men is a striking example of faith. They believed in Christ when they had never seen Him, but that was not all. They believed in Him when the scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving, but that again is not all. They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary's knee, and worshipped Him as a King. This was the crowning point of their faith. They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overall them. They saw nothing but a newborn infant, helpless and weak, and needing a mother's care like any one of ourselves. And yet, when they saw that infant, they believed that they saw the divine Savior of the world. They fell down and worshipped Him. We read of no greater fate than this in the whole volume of the Bible. It is a fate that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the penitent thief. The thief saw one dying the death of a malefactor, and yet prayed to him, and called him Lord. The wise man saw a newborn babe on the lap of a poor woman, and yet worshipped him, and confessed that he was Christ. Blessed, indeed, are those that can believe in this fashion. This is the kind of faith, let us remember, that God delights to honor. We see the proof of that at this very day. Wherever the Bible is read, the conduct of these wise men is known and told as a memorial of them.

Let us walk in the steps of their faith. Let us not be ashamed to believe in Jesus and confess Him, though all around us remain careless and unbelieving. Have we not a thousandfold more evidence than the wise men had to make us believe that Jesus is the Christ? Beyond doubt we have, yet where is our faith?

CHAPTER II. VERSES THIRTEEN TO TWENTY-THREE. THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ABODE AT NAZARETH.

MATTHEW CHAPTER II. VERSES THIRTEEN TO TWENTY-THREE.

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he rose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. And he was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I have called my son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, Indrama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Observe in this passage how true it is that the rulers of the world are seldom friendly to the cause of God. The Lord Jesus comes down from heaven to save sinners, and at once we are told that Herod the king seeks to destroy him. Greatness and riches are perilous possession for the soul. They know not what they seek who seek to have them. They lead men into many temptations. They are likely to fill the heart with pride and chain the affection down to things below. Not many mighty, not many noble are called. How hardly shall a rich man enter the kingdom of God!

Do you envy the rich and great? Does your heart say, O, that I had their place and rank and substance? Beware of giving way to the feeling. The very wealth which you admire may be gradually sinking its possessor down into hell. A little more money might be your ruin. Like Herod you might run into every excess of weakness and cruelty. Take heed and beware of covetousness. Be content with such things as you have.

Do you think that Christ's cause depends on the power and patronage of princes? You are mistaken. They have seldom done much for the advancement of true religion. They have far more frequently been the enemies of the truth. Put not your trust in princes. Those who are like Herod are many. Those who are like Josiah and Edward VI. of England are few.

Observe how the Lord Jesus was a man of sorrows, even from his infancy. Trouble awaits him as soon as he enters into the world. His life is in danger from Herod's hatred. His mother and Joseph are obliged to take him away by night and flee into Egypt. It was only a type and a figure of all his experience upon earth. The waves of humiliation began to beat over him, even when he was a sucking child.

The Lord Jesus is just the Savior that the suffering and sorrowful need. He knows well what we mean when we tell Him in prayer of our troubles. He can sympathize with us when we call to Him under cruel persecution. Let us keep nothing back from Him. Let us make Him our bosom friend. Let us pour out our hearts before Him. He has had great experience of affliction.

Observe how death can remove the kings of this world like other men. The rulers of millions have no power to retain life when the hour of their departure comes. The murderer of helpless infants must himself die. Joseph and Mary hear the tidings that Herod is dead, and at once they return in safety to their own land.

True Christians should never be greatly moved by the persecution of man. Their enemies may be strong, and they may be weak, but still they ought not to be afraid. They should remember that the triumphing of the wicked is but short. What has become of the Pharaohs, and Neros, and Diocletians, who at one time fiercely persecuted the people of God? Where is the enmity of Charles IX of France, and Bloody Mary of England? They did their utmost to cast the truth down to the ground, but the truth rose again from the earth and still lives, and they are dead and moldering in the grave.

Let not the heart of any believer fail. Death is a mighty leveler and can take any mountain out of the way of Christ's church. The Lord liveth forever. His enemies are only men. The truth shall always prevail.

Observe, in the last place, what a lesson of humility is taught us by the dwelling-place of the Son of God when He was on earth. He dwelt with His mother and Joseph in a city called Nazareth, Nazareth was a small town in Galilee. It was an obscure, retired place, not so much as once mentioned in the Old Testament. Hebron, and Shiloh, and Gibeon, and Bethel, were far more important places. But the Lord Jesus passed by them all, and chose Nazareth. This was humility.

In Nazareth the Lord lived thirty years. It was there He grew up from infancy to childhood, and from childhood to boyhood, and from boyhood to youth, and from youth to man's estate. We know little of the manner in which those thirty years were spent. That He was subject to Mary and Joseph, we are expressly told. That He worked in the carpenter's shop with Joseph is highly probable. We only know that almost five-sixths of the time that the Saviour of the world was on earth was passed among the poor of this world, and passed in complete retirement. Truly, this was humility.

Let us learn wisdom from our Savior's example. We are far too ready to seek great things in this world. Let us seek them not. To have a place and a title and a position in society is not nearly so important as people think. It is a great sin to be covetous and worldly and proud and carnal-minded.

But it is no sin to be poor. It matters not so much where we live as what we are in the sight of God. Where are we going when we die? Shall we live forever in Heaven? These are the main things to which we should attend.

Above all, let us daily strive to copy our Saviour's humility. Pride is the oldest and commonest of sins. Humility is the rarest and most beautiful of graces. For humility let us labor, for humility let us pray. Our knowledge may be scanty, our faith may be weak, our strength may be small, but if we are disciples of him who dwelleth at Nazareth, let us at any rate be humble.